Our national debt is more than $36 trillion. We borrow nearly $2 trillion every year just to pay our expenses. We spend more in interest payments now than we do on Medicaid, schools, childcare, and the national defense. Republicans have raised the alarm about this deficit, but this budget actually makes the debt and deficit much worse. They say we have a spending problem. Then cut annual spending to a level that is covered by our revenues and stop the deficits. That is not what they are doing here. They will make big cuts to healthcare, air traffic controllers, cybersecurity, and the people who fight wildfires. They will not use those savings to cut deficits. They will use those savings to pay for tax cuts for people who don't need them. America doesn't have a spending problem. We have a borrowing problem. This budget would lead to more borrowing we can't afford. It would limit our ability to borrow money when we do need it and when there is a future urgent need. Today, the economy has low unemployment and high interest rates. This is the exact wrong time to blow up the debt. This bill will add between $4 trillion and $11 trillion to the debt, which will increase interest rates, raise prices, and keep inflation high. Our kids are going to pick up the bill. Don't vote for this self-inflicted harm. Mr. Speaker, I work with many of my Republican colleagues as co-chair of the Bipartisan Fiscal Forum on controlling the debt and deficit.…
On the recordFebruary 25, 2025
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